Soccer Training in Sequences

Sequence: The following of one thing after another; succession. An order of succession; an arrangement

Instead of just juggling the soccer ball in a standing position, see if you can juggle the ball two or three times high into the air, control the ball, and then dribble away for ten yards.

Instead of just smacking the ball against the wall, see if you can strike the ball against the wall, then go to the ball and control it to the right side or left, and then do one dribbling move before dribbling away at a faster pace for five yards with your right or left foot only and then hit the ball against the wall again.

Watch this drill by Barcelona, where the players work on a number of different soccer skills within one drill - with obstacles to jump over sometimes:

The drill doesn't have to be as elaborate as this Barcelona drill. And you don't need that many players working within the drill. Plus, this is something you can work on individually. The key is just adding different skills together and then building off of them.

The idea is to train for soccer in sequences or a series of skills since in a game you're never going to stand still and juggle or calmly knock the ball against the wall without any pressure. In a game, you're constanly doing a series of different moves or skills while you're under pressure from a defender. So it makes sense to try to duplicate this in your practices and training sessions.

First off, you'll need to perfect each skill without pressure or without adding additional skills to the drill. So yeah you'll need to perfect juggling and striking the ball with both feet without pressure.

But once you've got these skills to a reasonable level, don't waste time challenging yourself even more. Make the ball do what you want to do, not the other way around. And this means setting up a sequence of skills you need to accomplish in your drill. Try to add four or five different skills to each sequence - juggling, dribbling, passing, turning, controlling the ball. These are all skills that aren't separted from one another when you in a game.

For example, try kicking the ball high up into the air, control the ball to one side, dribble off a few yards and do a step over or a feint with your shoulder, and then strike the ball against the wall with your instep. But you're not done yet, once you strike the ball you have to follow up your shot.

When you see a player score a goal, it's rare that the goal comes from a standing position unless it's off a corner kick and they're just in the right place at the right time. More often than not, a series of things have to happen before a player scores a goal. They might control the ball, make a pass, get the ball back, control the ball again, beat a player or cut the ball one direction, and then strike the ball into the back of the net. And this is all while they're under pressure from the opposing team.

When your on the soccer pitch, imagine you're playing in the English Premier league for Manchester United at the Theatre of Dreams, with 60,000 fans, and a long ball is played into you from Rio Ferdinand. Yes, Alex Ferguson is on the sidelines chomping his gum as he looks on. You control the ball on your chest, fake with your shoulder like you're going to the right with your left foot, but instead take the ball with your right foot the other way, play a give and go with Wayne Rooney, and strike the ball low and to the corner of the goal and score.

That's a nice sequence of events and skills.

Juggling Skills from Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets

Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were warming up for a training session earlier this year at the Ciutat Esportiva. They decided to see how long they could keep the ball in the air by passing the ball amongst themselves, but touching the ball with both feet each time. The result was captured on video and makes for incredible viewing.
Trying out ball tricks like this is nothing unusual in football. It’s the kind of thing you’ll see people doing in playgrounds all around the world. But rarely, if ever, will you see the exercise performed so exquisitely as Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio do here. Their level of ball control is simply staggering.
How long will they be able to keep going? And what about you and your friends? Let's see how you get on!